Keyshia Cole
's ascent was prepared with an appearance on the
Barbershop 2
soundtrack and a mixtape presented by
DJ Green Lantern
, yet 2005's
The Way It Is
wasn't exactly hotly anticipated. On the strength of two Top Ten R&B singles, the album eventually went platinum, several months after release, slowly transforming her into one of R&B's biggest stars -- one often mentioned on a first-name basis, and one with several comparisons to
Mary J. Blige
.
Cole
's second album will only prompt more of those comparisons, nearly to the extent that it might seem like its purpose. In addition to becoming
Blige
's labelmate at
Geffen
,
prefaced the album's release with performances that included her takes on
"I'm Going Down"
and
"Sweet Thing"
-- two songs memorably updated by a young
-- which could be construed as insolence, reverence, or a combination of the two. In some ways,
Just Like You
plays out like an album that could've only been made after
's
Breakthrough
. The common collaborators include
Rodney Jerkins
Ron Fair
, and
Bryan-Michael Cox
, two of whom had nothing to do with
"Got to Get My Heart Back"
could have been written to one-up
The Breakthrough
"Enough Cryin"
; these two
Jerkins
productions are somewhat similar in makeup, though the former's sting is a little more bittersweet while also hitting just a little bit harder.
would sound natural flowing out of
"Take Me as I Am,"
not just sonically but as the next natural development in a busted relationship -- from putting a foot down to making a recovery. Both tracks are
productions. Songs co-written and produced by others, like
"Fallin' Out"
"Give Me More,"
would also be easy fits on
, balancing desperation with conviction and mixing lush arrangements with penetrative melodies. Add a wicked
Missy Elliott
-produced throwback to
Bad Boy
's golden era, a repeat appearance of
's album-stealing feature from
Diddy
Press Play
-- which, coincidentally, also contains a
feature -- and a photo spread that looks very
-like, and you might wonder whether or not
is pulling a Single Black Female. (
? Just like who, exactly?) Despite all this weirdness, this stands as a very good album by Keyshia Cole, also the point where
's voice grows from an occasionally powerful emotive device into a versatile instrument. ~ Andy Kellman